Fly strike dermatitis

Common info

Fly Strike or Myiasis is a dog disease that mostly occurs in summer from a bug bite or bloodsucking on the face area and ears, which makes the pets get infected. Infected pets often have skin inflammation around the ear tip and on the face in some cases. Wounds from bug bites are fragile and might have worms devouring dead tissues on the wound area. They often get infected when are outside.


History

Flystrike or Myiasis is the cause of skin inflammation, often occur in hot weather, induced by egg-laying of many types of bugs on the skin, or bitten. Newly hatched worms will eat the dead tissues around the wounds. The eggs often take 1 — 3 days to hatch, and the worms will eat the dead tissues which cause the lymph to come out of the wounds, it’s the spread of infections that will increase the wound size. After the worms reach 2 weeks of age or more, they will produce enzymes to biodegrade the skin. Worms will make a hole in the skin and increase the size which can cause bacterial infection.


Description

The cause of  Flystrike or Myiasis is often from egg-laying of the flies on animal’s skin, or from small wounds and ear infection, the flies will bite, dogs and cats will feel pain and it causes wounds and infections. If animals have many wounds on the body, it will attract more flies. Dogs will try to get rid of the flies by scratching, wiping off, or rubbing on the ears which causes more irritation to the ears.


Symptoms                                                         

  • Larvas and worms in infected ears can be seen.
  • Smelly ears
  • Drowsy
  • Loss of appetite
  • Shaky head
  • Ear pain with bleeding or wounds

Can clearly see larvas and worms in infected ears, smelly ears, drowsy, loss of appetite, shaky head, ear pain from bleeding and wounds.


Treatment and Prevention

Treatment  Wounds from a bug bite can be treated by antibiotics for specific spots such as corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and infection. Moreover, they can be protected from the flies, and keeping the ears clean is essential to reduce the chances of contracting the disease.

  1. Wikipedia | Myiasis
  2. Wabbitwiki | Flystrike
  3. Aquatic Community | Fly strike dermatitis in dogs
  4. Department of Medical Entomology | Exotic Myiasis
  5. Joy Gioia. 2000. Fly-Strike Emergency. House Rabbit Journal Spring. 5(3) : 1-3.
  6. R. Turner et al. 2018. Risk factors for cutaneous myiasis (blowfly strike) in pet rabbits in Great Britain based on text-mining veterinary electronic health records. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 153 : 77-83.
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